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China and Pakistan over the years have forged a formidable partnership in high-tech defense production. The recent revelation that the Chinese have agreed to the sale of 36 J-10B (FC-20) fighter jets to Pakistan is
another sign of this ever growing partnership between the two Nuclear armed neighbors. China’s sale of the J-10 fighters to Pakistan, however, signals the depth of its strategic alliance with Pakistan. Pakistan will
be the first country to receive the most advanced Chinese aircraft, which speaks volumes to Chinese faith in its strategic partnership with Pakistan.
The boundary of this collaboration in recent years have really expanded , Jf17Thunder ,F22-p Frigates to name a few. The latest deal of buying J10 fighter jets for PAF from China was reportedly sealed for a
massive $1.4 Billion. The number of aircrafts Pakistan would be buying are not known at the moment. Research at the James foundation does reveal some figures;
The deal marks the depth of a strategic alliance between Beijing and Islamabad. Some reports suggest that Pakistan is actually seeking 150 J-10 fighter jets, which go by Chengdu Jian-10 in China and F-10 in
Pakistan, for a sum of $6 billion (The Hindu, November 11). The Pakistani government, however, dismisses such reports as inflated (Financial Times, November 10). Although Pakistan has not yet made
the deal public, its prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, on November 23, confirmed that “his country is in
talks with China for securing the J-10s” . Pakistan turned to China for these aircraft in 2006 after it failed to secure the F-16s from the United States (Dawn, May 1, 2006). General Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s
former military ruler, who negotiated the deal during his visit to China in 2006, is the real architect of this grand sale (The Hindu, November 11). [click to continue...]
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